Yes, I am still planning on releasing my sequel to Catskinner’s Book. And it should be before the end of August.

However, I am fighting against fatigue and burnout right now, and I need to prioritize my energies. Quite frankly, Cannibal Hearts is a low priority for me. It has been a lot of work for me, and I am not expecting much return. Trying to market a book that isn’t just like other books that are already out there is an uphill battle.

When I started writing it, I still had hopes that Catskinner’s Book would somehow “take off” and that I would have a market for a sequel. In fact, the opposite has happened. Once my friends and family bought their copies, sales have fallen to basically zero. What I thought of as a fairly massive marketing push earlier this year resulted in a lot of copies being given away, but no sales.

So I am not expecting Cannibal Hearts to sell, either. I will finish the edits and get it out there, and I figure I’ll sell a dozen or so copies to those people who liked the first book, but I’m not going to knock myself out doing it.

I know this sounds self-pitying and angsty, but it really isn’t. I am not giving up writing, and I promise I won’t start smoking clove cigarettes and wearing black eyeshadow. I am looking at the situation realistically. I believe that both Catskinner’s Book and Cannibal Hearts are good books. They just aren’t books that I can sell.

So I will concentrate on projects that I can sell. I really believe in The Fauxpocalypse Project, and I am excited about doing more anthologies. I think I have figured out how to make them a win/win situation for the authors, the publisher, and the readers. That’s work that I want to do because I think that there will be rewards, both personal and financial. Working with other authors is great fun.

Hammering Cannibal Hearts into shape is work that I feel obligated to do. It’s discouraging to put effort into something that I don’t think is going to pay off.

But I will finish it. It’s being proofed right now, and I’m not far from the ebook version. The print version will be out eventually.

17 Responses to So, whatever happened to “Cannibal Hearts”?

Right now, it’s soccer mom porn that seems to be all the rage. Ugh. I hate that stuff. Shelving them until a time comes when they’ll be in demand can be a good idea. If you spend time away from what your attention has been on the most, it might make it easier to complete them later.

I consider Twilight, the Sookie Stackhouse series, and Fifty Shades of Grey to be “soccer mom porn.” Women get to live these fascinating lives through such bland and clearly stereotypical characters. I hate it and want it to burn, but I’m clearly not the target audience as I am neither 16-24 nor 35-45.

Hopefully the books that you can sell will bring up the sales of Catskinner’s Book and Cannibal Hearts. I’m always being told how authors get hot on a later book, which pulls the earlier ones into the spotlight.

I know I am waiting for the next book. I have told as many people who will listen about CatSkinner and how great it is. I couldn’t put it down.I think part of the problem is the audience or genera (probably just misspelled that word for the 100th time)
I want to encourage you because I am about to release my first book and I think your style is much more gripping.

I think Charles makes a good point. I’ve seen a lot of wisdom surrounding self-published works that recommends not expecting up front sales like traditionally published books see. These days they tend to be on the shelves and off the shelves in a very short time, and they’ve only got that time to make their big sales.

Your books will have a long life-span, and sales will no doubt ebb and flow based on the other things you do later. As new readers discover those things, they will also discover your older stuff by association.